Make bridge pins without lathe?

[WilliamDavidReynolds]

So I setup a jig using hard maple like a pencil sharpener using my 5 degree reamer.

Sorta works without a neat head, I’m sure I could cut a blank with a head on it and put it in , but I wanna see whatever others have done or if it’s always been on a lathe.
Not interested in buying a pen lathe just to make my bridge pens, which would absolutely be the best way.
I don’t have a place for a mini lathe, I serious barely have room for all my equipment and jigs,,, plus I don’t have it in the budget.

Looking for a shipwright trick here.
Thanks!

[kiwigeo]

I think most people in here buy their bridge pins ready made.

[WilliamDavidReynolds]

I think most people in here buy their bridge pins ready made.

Yes sir I understand that. I prefer everything to be custom except for strings, machine tuners, strap buttons and well that’s it for acoustic, pickups, and wiring harnesses for electric, cause I don’t care to investigate electronics more than I have which leaves me to get package setups for electric guitar builds.

I ordered a set of blank ebony pins for this first flatty I’m building ( I have been doing archtops until now), and they aren’t going to work for my Padauk bridge.

Maybe I’ll outsource and send a piece of the Padauk to Elevate or one of the custom suppliers who mill fret boards for builders, I personally do all my own milling but there is a first for everything!

[kiwigeo]

Most of my bridge pins came from Gurian. They'll do up custom pins but there's a minimum order (72).

https://www.gurianinstruments.com/showc ... -end-pins/

[Dave M]

If you can do the taper with your peg shaver, you could then possibly put them in a drill press to shape the tops. They don't have to be too fancy. You might need to shape some sort of wooden collet to save damage to the tapered bit.

Perhaps even reverse that process and shape the tops first while you can still grip the parallel part of the peg.

An interesting task. I have a lathe but I would think twice about working such small pieces, and worry about getting the tapers right.

Cheers Dave

[WilliamDavidReynolds]

If you can do the taper with your peg shaver, you could then possibly put them in a drill press to shape the tops. They don't have to be too fancy. You might need to shape some sort of wooden collet to save damage to the tapered bit.

Perhaps even reverse that process and shape the tops first while you can still grip the parallel part of the peg.

An interesting task. I have a lathe but I would think twice about working such small pieces, and worry about getting the tapers right.

Cheers Dave

You pretty much nailed it, just about the only low tech way to do it. I grew up with my grandfathers NASA machine lathe and the bridge pins seem like quite a task to do on it. I agree, the top does need to be shaped first, before going to tapering in the sharpener.
I need to get single sided razor blades for it to really work nicely. Then see if I can drill holes in those hardened steel blades. Maybe using a lighter torch to soften the spots to drill would help without heating the cutting edge. Or cover in clay and make a hole in the clay where hole goes and torch flame in the clay hole??? Too much already, haha
I just threw a carpenters knife blade on it. If I ever get around to doing these right, I’ll put some pictures

[kiwigeo]

LOL......we're getting back to the age old chestnut.....exactly what constitutes a handmade/custom made guitar?

[Robert Gleason]

With the crush of CNC and laser technology in lutherie today, what makes a handmade guitar is a question that has as many answers as there are makers. The poster here mentioned that they prefer everything to be custom except for tuners, strings, and strap buttons. Strap buttons would be pretty easy to make, strings nearly impossible, but tuners have been done. An early GAL article noted an Iron Curtain builder that did machine his own tuners. Pretty much it only matters to the builder. I doubt that anyone would consider an instrument not to be handmade because it has commercial tuning machines. Very few buyers ever go deep into the details of excactly how much of an instrument is handmade. I linger on those thoughts everyday in the shop, being slightly envious of those with CNC's or lasers and a program to do some of the grundge work. I hear the words from those users that it is just another tool, and I have no counter response to that.

[simso]

I use to teach acoustic guitar building classes in our workshop and every wood part of the guitar is made from raw wood, from kerfing to sides to bridges and braces etc, the bridge pin was the one thing we could not succeed with jigs, tried many a time, gave up and just used the lathe in the end, its a very simplistic part tomake on a lathe.

Steve